Farmgirl Susan's Slow Roasted Greek Style Leg of Lamb with Lemon, Oregano, Potatoes, and Swiss Chard

Serves at least 4 - Adapted from Falling Cloudberries by Tessa Kiros

Total cooking time: 3½ to 4½ hours

Don't let the long instructions scare you away—this really is a simple recipe.

The chunks of roasted lemons are quite tart, but they almost melt in your mouth. I couldn't stop eating them. If not everyone you're feeding is a lemonhead, you could put the lemon chunks in one corner of the roasting pan rather than tossing them with the potatoes—or simply leave them out.

The leg of lamb cut we get is called an American style roast; it has the bone attached, but no shank. This recipe would probably also work well with lamb shoulder roasts. The Swiss chard and raisins are totally optional; just remember that the chard will really shrink down while cooking.

4½ to 5 pound grass-fed, bone-in leg of lamb
2 large organic lemons
7 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
Salt & freshly ground pepper
4 Tablespoons chopped fresh Greek oregano, divided
1 cup water (you may need a little more)
2 to 3 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes
6 or more garlic cloves, separated but unpeeled
Two or more large handfuls of Swiss chard leaves (save the stems for another use), chopped into pieces if they're really big
Large handful of raisins

Optional sides:
Sour cream or Greek yogurt
Tzatziki or cucumber salad
Sliced garden tomatoes

Heat the oven to 425°. Trim the leg of lamb of any excess fat (ours never have any) and set it in a heavy stainless steel roasting pan. Halve the lemons, squeeze out the juice (I use a little hand held citrus reamer over an itty bitty strainer to catch the seeds), and, if desired, cut the juiced lemon halves into chunks.

Combine the lemon juice and 3 Tablespoons of olive oil in a small dish and use a fork or whisk to combine. Pour the mixture over the lamb, rubbing it into the meat with your fingers. Season with salt and several grinds of fresh pepper, and then sprinkle with 2 Tablespoons of the oregano.

Pour 1 cup of water into the pan around the lamb.

Cook for 30 minutes, then take the roasting pan out of the oven and turn the leg over. Add more water to the pan if most of it has evaporated.

Season with salt and pepper, sprinkle with 1 Tablespoon of the oregano, and cook for another 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, peel the potatoes and cut them into bite-size pieces. Take the roasting pan out of the oven. Scatter the potatoes and lemon chunks (if desired) in the pan around the lamb, turning them over with a large spoon to coat them in the juice.

Sprinkle them with salt and pepper and the last Tablespoon of oregano, then drizzle with 3 Tablespoons of olive oil. Add a little more water to the pan if it has all evaporated.

Cover the roasting pan tightly with foil, decrease the oven to 350°, and cook for 1½ hours.

Take the roasting pan out of the oven and turn the lamb over. Scatter the garlic cloves among the potatoes, stir the potatoes, replace the foil loosely over the pan, and cook for 1 hour.

The lamb can be eaten at this point, but if you prefer it browner, let it cook, uncovered, for another hour or so (without stirring the potatoes if you want them to brown a little), until the edges of the meat become crisp.

Set the lamb on a large platter and cover lightly with foil. Move the potatoes to one side of the roasting pan, tilt the pan slightly so the juice runs to the empty half, and toss in the Swiss chard leaves (which will cook way down) and the raisins, stirring them into the juice and then spreading them out. Cook for about 10 minutes, or until the Swiss chard is wilted, stirring once or twice.

Slice or pull the lamb from the bone with a fork and serve warm with the potatoes and Swiss chard and/or other suggested sides. Squeeze the roasted garlic cloves out of their skins and mix them into the potatoes or spread them on warm slices of crusty bread.

Recipe source: FarmgirlFare.com